1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a solar cell module in which plural numbers of solar cells are arranged side by side, and a method for manufacturing thereof.
2. Background Information
As a solar cell module, a slatted structure that plural numbers of elongated solar cells are arranged and connected side by side is well known (see PCT International Publication No. WO2010/023264 (Patent Document 1), for example), and for example, the solar cell module is manufactured as follows.
After various types of film-forming are performed for a photoelectric conversion on a band-shaped metal material, the elongated solar cells are obtained by cutting it in a predetermined length. And, the plural numbers of the cells are arranged on a stage by overlapping edge portions in the longer side of the cells, which are adjacent to each other, and the overlapped edge portions are bonded so as to become a single solar cell module. The solar cell module manufactured in the above described way provides the state that the plural numbers of the cells are electrically connected in series so that a voltage can be generated for a practical use.
As an apparatus that the edge portions in a longer side of the plural numbers of cells are overlapped and arranged on the stage, as shown in FIG. 7, a suction head 84 to suction a top surface of a cell 81 is provided, and the suction head 84 can move in an array direction of cells 81 on a stage 83 (horizontal direction in FIG. 7).
In the apparatus, the conveyance operations are performed by the suction head 84 in order of processes of suctioning of the cell 81, lifting F1 of the cell 81, horizontal movement F2 of the cell 81, bringing down F3 of the cell 81, and releasing of the suction of the cell 81. The cell 81 that has been suctioned can be mounted on the edge portion 82 of the cell 81 that has been previously placed. And, returning the head 84, the conveyance operations are repeated so that the cells 81 are arranged one by one on the stage 83.